Box truck hits snag in delivery of office supplies in West Reading

A routine delivery of office supplies in West Reading hit a snag, literally, after a box truck rounded the corner of a building Thursday.

West Reading Fire Department along with crews from Spring Township Fire & Rescue were called to the commercial strip fronting Berkshire Village Apartments, 523 Reading Ave., about 11:30 a.m. for a report of a truck caught on low-hanging wires.

When they arrived, the two deliverymen from Philadelphia had jumped from the driver’s side door because the passenger side of the truck was leaning against the brick wall of the building.

They were just turning the corner, West Reading police Officer Danny Voorhies said, and it looked like the wire was low-hanging and it got wrapped up in the top and as he was driving the whole thing started to tilt until it hit the side of the building.

Neither man was injured.

A Spring Township rescue crew was called in to assist because the department has vehicle stabilization struts used for such rescues, officials said.

The driver of the box truck, Howard Caldwell, didn’t realize at first what was obstructing their movement.

We pulled in, made the delivery and made the U-turn to come back out and got strung up, Caldwell said. We didn’t get too far.

The passenger’s name was unavailable, but the two men were taking it all in stride, though thankful the building was there to keep the truck from falling on its side.

Luckily the building was here because my partner was on that side, Caldwell said.

It didn’t appear there was any damage to the building. A Verizon crew was called to remove the wires and make any necessary repairs.